Climate Change Poses Major Threat To U.S. Tourism

By
Parker Diakite

Share

In the latest edition of the National Climate Assessment, scientists are warning that climate change will create new risks and challenges to human health, safety, and quality of life. The report, released on Friday, comes amid worsening natural disasters across the United States, including hurricanes and wildfires, which exceeded a record of $300 billion in costs in 2017, as reported in Skift News.

Scientists said the impacts of climate change are already being felt in communities across the country.

“More frequent and intense extreme weather and climate-related events, as well as changes in average climate conditions, are expected to continue to damage infrastructure, ecosystems, and social systems that provide essential benefits to communities,” findings from the report read.

Another area of concern for scientists is how tourism in the U.S. will be impacted by climate change.

According to the report, projected increases in wildfire smoke events are expected to impair outdoor recreational activities in the west. In addition, declines in snow and ice cover caused by warmer winter temperatures are expected to negatively impact the winter recreation industry in the Northwest, Northern Great Plains, and the Northeast.

Fish, birds, and mammals are expected to shift where they live as a result of climate change, which means that hunting, fishing, and other wildlife-related activities will change dramatically. These and other climate-related impacts are expected to result in decreased tourism revenue in some places and, for some communities, loss of identity.

“While some new opportunities may emerge from these ecosystem changes, cultural identities and economic and recreational opportunities based around historical use of and interaction with species or natural resources in many areas are at risk,” analysts said.

Scientist said that proactive management strategies, such as the use of projected stream temperatures to set priorities for fish conservation, can help reduce disruptions to tourist economies and recreation.

.

Share

Parker Diakite

Want more?

Get exclusive, unpublished tips from Travel Noire's CEO to help you get off the beaten path, into the hearts of locals and onto a better, more cultured life.

"Reading your emails has reminded me of who I am and who I desire to be. They are life changing."

The United Nations released the “World’s Top 10 Happiest Countries” in its annual World Happiness Report, with European countries, unsurprisingly, dominating the top of the list. The World Happiness Report ranks 156 countries by how happy their citizens perceive themselves to be. Links between government and happiness, prosocial behavior, and changes in information technology all […]

Some descendants of African slaves in Nacimiento, Mexico are considering making the journey to the United States in search of work and opportunities, the Washington Post reports. “There’s one thing we all know now,” Juana Vazquez, 50, said in Spanish. “If you want work, you cross the border.” Vazquez herself, who received a temporary work […]

It’s been a rough few weeks for Boeing. After a crash involving an Ethiopian Airlines jetliner, the FBI has opened a criminal probe into how the 737 MAX 8 jet received its safety certifications. Several countries including Ethiopia, China, and Singapore, also grounded the Boeing jet, while the U.S. grounded all 737 Max planes on […]